


You don't need to be alone

by Sorrowchan



Category: Metal Gear
Genre: Alcohol, i guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-20
Updated: 2015-11-20
Packaged: 2018-05-02 12:20:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5248064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sorrowchan/pseuds/Sorrowchan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alternatively titled: how do you cheer up your emotional friend when you're an apathetic lizard man</p>
            </blockquote>





	You don't need to be alone

“Like nobody’s ever tried ‘t climb rafters before,” Fear grumbled to himself. “Fuckin’ jackasses. If there’s nowhere else in this shithole to get a drink, I swear…”

Speak of the devil. He almost missed the place, nestled between two buildings with a barely legible open sign. The bar didn’t scream ‘hookers and good times’, but Fear could always pick up something there and go somewhere else. On principle he never went back to the base before morning if he bothered to leave, whether to live the night up to the fullest or just make someone worry. He never could decide.

The inside of the bar was just as barren as he expected. It was the kind of place where the only people still there this late were homeless, miserable, or both. While he was debating with himself where to take the night from there, Fear idly scanned the bar, pausing when something tucked away by the wall caught his eye. Long, silvery hair.

At first he was doubtful - Sorrow rarely went off base, and if he did he wasn’t out late - but as he approached there wasn’t any question. Well, couldn’t hurt to make conversation, right?

“Surprised ‘t run into you, ghost boy,” Fear said as he slid onto the stool next to him. “‘Th hell are you doin’ in a place like this?”

It didn’t even look as though Sorrow had heard him. He was about to speak again when the medium heaved a heavy sigh and mumbled something in Russian.

“English, dude,” Fear reminded him.

Sorrow sighed again and repeated in heavily accented English, “Leave me alone, Fear.”

“Take it that’s not the first one you’ve had, eh?” he laughed, gesturing to the empty bottle in Sorrow’s hand. “C’mooooon, you’d rather sit here alone than talk to your bestest buddy in the unit?” He didn’t even get a chuckle, just a tired glance. Fear pursed his lips and looked back to the bar, grumbling, “Sheesh. And I thought you were a downer sober.”

Sorrow shrugged. “I doubt you expected anything better from me.”

“What’s that ‘sposed to mean?”

“It’s me. I’m sad all the time. I’m not going to stop being sad. Everyone knows it,” he said.

Despite his friend’s hopeless tone, Fear still tried to keep up his attitude. “Hey, c’mon, you’re not that sad! You crack jokes ‘n shit with us all the time. But I mean, yer name’s Sorrow. It’s just sorta given you’re gonna be sad sometimes, that’s how it works.” Sort of, anyway.

“Sorrow,” he repeated with a short, hollow laugh, “Sorrow...I hate it sometimes. It makes the whole thing feel so inescapable. I’ll never really be happy....I’m going to end up sad no matter what, because that’s who I am. Sorrow. It’s all I am. It’s all I ever will be until I finally die.”

“...That’s, uh, that’s pretty rough,” Fear said after a pause. Shit, why did _he_ have to get stuck with this? Even he knew he was the last person who should be dishing out counseling; the only thing he knew how to do was make jokes, and that had already failed multiple times. But now if he just up and left, Joy and Fury were bound to find out and collectively kick his ass for leaving Sorrow alone. He had to get somewhere with sad guy, even if it meant dragging him all the way back to base.

Actually, that might just work.

Fear put a firm hand on Sorrow’s shoulder and suddenly continued, “So, you’re obviously havin’ a shit time here, pal. How’s about we just head on back home and go to bed, huh?”

Sorrow did move, but only to lay his head in his arms. “I’d rather be a disappointment here where nobody knows me.”

“Okay, but, you’re gonna be more of a disappointment if...well, if, you just...you’re kinda right but you should still come with me, yeah?” Fear tried.That time Sorrow only grumbled in reply, though. “Just - look, alright, I get it, life’s shit right now,” he said. “You’re havin’ a real bad time. But if you don’t come with me, you’re probably gonna be here all night or end up nappin’ in some alley, and Joy’s gonna get pissed outta her mind at me, and Fury will get pissed outta his mind and…” Fear paused, eyes lighting up as he made the connection and found a great cheering-up point. “See? Because they care! Yeah that’s why, actually, they care about you, and they get worried when you’re not around ‘cause you usually are. So, I guess even if you are sad, people still like you.”

For the first time, Sorrow actually looked over at him, eyes red and unfocused. It was difficult to say how he looked - Fear had never been good with expressions - but if he had to guess, this one looked...hopeful, maybe?

But then the hopeful look fell away. “No...no, they probably just care because I’m useful to them and all. They don’t...they don’t actually…”

“C’mon, don’t be stupid, Sorrow.” As soon as he said that the medium shrunk back, frowning more deeply, and Fear backpedaled. “Shit - I mean, no, no you’re not , ‘course, but I mean, it’d be stupid to think that! We’re all a kinda family, right? It’s a really fucked up family, but we’re family, and I mean Fury is your actual family so that’s even better. But what I’m saying is, we all give some sorta shit about each other. An’ it’s not just ‘cause we’re useful to each other, it’s ‘cause family sticks together. Get it?”

Sorrow was silent for several moments after that, looking back down to his hands. “I...I guess…” he finally mumbled, “so that...means you care about me too?”

At least that was an easy question. Telling Sorrow that he was wildly fucked up and his concept of caring for people was probably very different than his was not going to lead anywhere, so instead Fear replied with his usual smirk, “‘Course. Wouldn’t be here if I didn’t, right?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I guess not.”

Finally, Sorrow didn’t sound completely consumed by soul-crushing despair, so Fear took that as his cue. Once again he tugged on his shoulder and this time stood up “Now c’mon, we’re gonna go back and you’re gonna sleep off whatever you drank, and I’m...I’m probably going to do, something. Find something to fuck up, probably.”

Sorrow just shrugged and followed his lead.

The night air was crisp and bordering on cold when they left, a welcome change. Fear was practically carrying the medium by the time they set foot outside, but when the guy weighed next to nothing it was hard to complain. Now if only he could have found a dive less than a mile and a half away, he thought as he laid eyes on the road stretching out in front of them. At least it was going to be a peaceful walk.

A few yards away from the bar, he just barely made out a mumbled, “Thanks.”

Unsure of how to respond, Fear just kept going and pretended not to hear.

 

**Author's Note:**

> betad by the fab http://corn-free-awesomesauce.tumblr.com/  
> i still write sometimes honestly


End file.
